AFCON 2021: footballing success amid organisational failure
As Sadio Mane’s penalty rifled into the back of the net, the joy of an entire nation rippled through the continent and the world.
From the streets of New York, London, and Yaounde, to the presidential palace in Dakar, Senegalese fans were out in their thousands to celebrate on of the greatest moments in the country’s history. President Macky Sall swiftly declared that today would be a public holiday to allow for the celebrations to continue.
This is what makes the Africa Cup of Nations so special. No continent has a relationship with football like Africa, and this AFCON proved that once again.
It is a tournament where footballers plying their trade all across the world come to compete. No team is ever entitled to victory over another, Senegal being the best example.
The tournament in Cameroon has been so special because of the variety that has been brought by every nation. As much joy that there is in seeing Senegal lifting the trophy, countries like Gambia, Comoros, Malawi and Equatorial Guinea have brought about just as much joy and pride.
Seeing Chaker Alhader play in goal for the Comoros despite being a left-back or seeing mercurial talents like Gabadinho Mhango score goals that they have no right to even try to score is what this competition is all about.
But the sensational drama on the pitch covered over the cracks that have existed for decades and threaten the African football environment.
Off-Pitch Issues
Gambia, Malawi, and Comoros all had serious concerns about hotels where they were forced to sleep six people to a room and handwash their clothes. CAF changed the rules on Covid testing overnight so that players from Tunisia could play, but Comoros could not field a fully fit Ali Ahmada in goal.
While the refereeing was generally good, it will be overshadowed by the Janny Sikazwe debacle. All of these pale in comparison to the tragedy outside of the Olembe stadium crush where eight people lost their lives.
As many journalists and fans have remarked, these sights are normal in AFCONs and African football. Despite CAF President Patrice Motsepe’s claims, his organisation has not made any impactful changes.
But for viewers of the AFCON, the most worrying sign was the presence of Gianni Infantino at the hand over of the trophy to Senegal.
The spectre of Fifa’s sports colonialism
A fortnight after he had the gall to tell the European council, “We need to find ways to include the whole world, to give hope to Africans so that they don’t need to cross the Mediterranean in order to find maybe a better life – but, more probably, death in the sea.” He forced himself into the trophy lifting process, trying to force the trophy ceremony to take place up in the stands with all the dignitaries. Captain Kalidou Coulibaly instead brought the trophy back down onto the pitch with the team.
Not only that, but while Infantino was inexplicably in Cameroon for the trophy celebration, the FIFA Club World Cup had already started, and African champions Al Ahly SC were forced to play their quarter-final match against CF Monterrey without six players who were in Cameroon.
In his repulsive statements about saving African migrants by increasing the number of World Cups, Infantino said that FIFA needs to empower African football. Just over a week later, FIFA’s premier club tournament went ahead while clashing with the AFCON.
The idea that Infantino would be involved in presenting the European Championship trophy, or Copa Libertadores is unthinkable and neither UEFA nor CONMEBOL would stand for that kind of interference from FIFA. It is humiliating that CAF allows it.
Many journalists have labelled it as the newest form of sporting colonialism and it is hard to argue with their point. The Swiss-Italian has had complete control of CAF ever since he orchestrated victory of now-president Patrice Motsepe in an unopposed election.
Every single candidate mysteriously pulled out of the election after meeting with Infantino and now several are vice-presidents or on the Executive Committee.
The AFCON was a roaring success, not because of CAF or the organising of the tournament, but in spite of it. While some of the blame rests with the Cameroonian FA and government, the bulk of it comes back CAF.
The future of AFCON
The AFCON will continue to survive as a competition and thrill us, because of the passion of African football and, more importantly, the passion of African football fans, who will support their country and the AFCON through thick and thin.
However, the Cup of Nations will never become the truly phenomenal tournament that it deserves to be with the current leadership.
It is easy to forget, but this tournament started remarkably slowly as a spectacle. The biggest reason being that CAF caved to pressure from the European Club Association, and through talks with FIFA as an intermediary, allowed European clubs to hold onto their players until just six days before the tournament instead of the 14 that is required.
The irony being that the reason the ECA requested the players to stay was over COVID-19 concerns, but the majority of COVID-19 cases seen in squads were brought by players based in Europe. Just weeks before the tournament kicked off, Infantino was advocating postponing the tournament for a second time over COVID-19 concerns.
And yet, despite all these hurdles the AFCON was in many ways a glorious success. The stories and football on show were sensational and captured the hearts of those around the world like never before.
In the UK, Sky and BBC both bought the rights for the first time. While both disappointing in their coverage, their presence as rights holders is indicative of the appeal of the AFCON.
But simply relying on the magic of the Africa Cup of Nations is not enough to save the tournament and the wider African footballing landscape.
CAF has to take the failures of the tournament seriously and address the wider failures in the organisation if they ever want the AFCON to fulfil its potential as the greatest football competition on the globe.
